To a Christmas with you
by ShadowKat-Shidobukatsu
Summary: Watanuki hasn't spent Christmas with anyone for a long time, but still enjoys the giving of gifts. DouWata if you squint.Oneshot


Sorry it's late!! (I even wrote this months ago.) So, um…Happy Christmas!

Disclaimer: If I owned Holic, there'd be more Donuts…

Watanuki sighed as he walked down the snow-covered street, shopping for Christmas gifts. Families weaved around him, shopping for each other, and talking excitedly about their plans and visiting relatives.

It had been several years since he had actually Christmas with anyone, and the last time he did, it was at the children's home he had stayed at while waiting for a prospective family to come pick him up. It had been a scant Christmas, with only one present per child, and a small buffet of food, but the atmosphere in the building could rival that of little girls walking into a room of kittens and rainbows.

That analogy seemed all too wrong to Watanuki, as he shook his head of the strange thought, and spotted the perfect gift for Yuuko. Three bottles of her favourite sake, wrapped up together, with the added bonus of a small set of sake dishes. He had already purchased gifts for Himawari, the fox spirits of the oden cart, the pipe fox, the zashiki-doushi, the zashiki-warashi, Maru, Moro, Mokona, and even the karasutengu. All that were left were Yuuko, and Doumeki. Though, now only Doumeki was left.

Watanuki sighed again; tucking the sake carefully into the bag he was carrying, already full of gifts. Doumeki, although a stoic bastard who Watanuki loathed within an inch of his life, could still be considered somewhat of a friend. That, and since he no longer had Himawari-chan to hang around with very often, his only friend-technically speaking.

He shifted the bag on his shoulder, and peered into shop windows. Doumeki Shizuka was probably the most difficult person in the world to buy a gift for. He had nearly no interests, except eating, sleeping, and archery. He couldn't exactly get a gift for the stoic boy to do with sleeping, and archery supplies were way over his budget.

And with that passing thought, Watanuki knew exactly what to get Doumeki.

Watanuki trudged up to Yuuko's store, carrying his heavy gift-filled bag. After struggling to open the door for a moment, he finally managed to get inside the store, slip off his shoes, and make his way to the hallway just outside the parlour. Inside he could hear the voices of many people, all of whom he recognized, or knew he would soon gain recognition of.

It was then that the doors were thrown open by Maru and Moro, who pulled Watanuki inside, happily babbling about some-or-another that Yuuko had told them. They lead him over to his eccentric boss, then ran off to play with the young fox spirit of the oden cart.

"Happy Christmas, Watanuki!!" Yuuko declared, obviously half-drunk already.

"Merry Christmas, Yuuko-san." Watanuki said with a small smile.

"You can go home right after preparing some snacks for everyone, and you can have tomorrow off." Yuuko said, before gulping down the last of a small bottle of unknown liquor.

"Alright." Watanuki turned, but stopped, before remembering his bag. "Oh, this is for you, as well. Merry Christmas." Watanuki said once more, before handing Yuuko her gift, then wandering away to distribute the rest of his gifts among Yuuko's party guests.

Yuuko smiled after her employee, who was now being hugged to death by her two young servants after having received their own respective gifts.

"Happy Christmas, Watanuki-kun" Yuuko said quietly, before toasting her young charge.

A couple hours later, Watanuki flopped onto his futon, completely exhausted from preparing food, and mingling with all of the spirits who had gone to Yuuko's Christmas party.

The next day, Watanuki woke up mid-morning, and got dressed. He grabbed a carefully wrapped box, and bento-box from his kitchen, before heading out the door.

The streets were completely baron of any and all activity. Everyone appeared to be indoors, enjoying the Christmas spirit with their families. Watanuki quickened his pace to reach his destination quicker, so as to not ruin his current mood with old memories.

When he got to the Doumeki shrine, he half-expected it to be full of early-morning parishioners, but found the grounds to be desolate of almost all human activity, just as the street had been. Only a couple of people were there for early morning worship, and even with that, it appeared they would be leaving very shortly.

Watanuki walked up, and around the main shrine to the Doumeki family residence, where he set down his two packages carefully beside himself, before ringing the doorbell.

A shout could be heard from inside the house, then shuffling, before the door was opened. Doumeki's grandmother stood before him.

"Ah, good morning!" Watanuki bowed deeply, before looking apologetic, "I'm sorry for disturbing you on such a day as today, but I was wondering if I might be able to speak with Dou-I mean Shizuka-kun."

Doumeki's grandmother gave him a quick look-over, before a smile crept across her face. "Of course! You must be Watanuki Kimihiro-kun, yes?"

Watanuki blinked. "Ah, yes! Yes, that's me."

"Well, come in, please, Watanuki-kun! I'll go get Shizuka for you." The elder woman said, stepping aside so Watanuki could get inside the door.

"Thank you." Watanuki gave another short bow, before scooping up his packages and stepping inside. He toed off his shoes and stepped into the house as the elder woman wandered off to fetch Doumeki.

A moment later, said boy wandered down the hallway to where Watanuki was standing.

"Merry Christmas." Doumeki stated, once he reached Watanuki.

"Merry Christmas." Watanuki said, before holding out the two packages to Doumeki.

Doumeki took them, and looked at them quizzically. "What are these for?"

"Your Christmas present." Watanuki muttered. He couldn't figure out why he could feel his face heat up slightly.

Doumeki looked up at him for a moment, and then almost seemed to look bashful. "I…didn't get you anything."

"That's alright!" Watanuki said quickly, waving his hands in front of his to emphasize his point.

Doumeki stared down at the two gifts in his hands silently. Watanuki shifted his feet, before feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Ah…" He stepped back, toeing back on one of his shoes, "Well, I'd better be going. I'm sure your family is busy with festivities…"

He had almost gotten on his second shoe, when Doumeki's voice made him stop. "When was the last time you actually didn't spend this holiday alone?"

Watanuki looked up, raising an eyebrow. "When I was 11, at a childrens home I was staying at while in-between houses…"

"Five Christmas's…"

"Eh?"

"…I know what to give you for Christmas."

"Eh??"

"Stay for Christmas."

"….EH?!"

"Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"NO! But…I mean, wouldn't your family-"

"My grandmother seems to like you, and my parents want to meet you. That, and there's always way too much food at supper, and we wind up with leftovers."  
Watanuki blinked. He had subconsciously taken his shoes back off again. "…With the amount of food you eat at lunch, I highly doubt your last statement…"

Doumeki gave the tiniest of smiles, and lead Watanuki into the living room where the rest of his family was currently chattering about random events.


End file.
